Fair Isle Brewing Releases Denise, a Marriage of Gin and Fruit in a Beer

Since Fair Isle’s inception, the brewery has been aging beer in gin casks from Copperworks Distilling. Denise explores a new direction by utilizing spent plums from their famous Plum Gin. A mature oak-aged beer is transferred to rest on the plums for four weeks and then refermented with fresh plums and pluots from Collins Family Orchards for an additional 8 weeks before packaging. 

“Denise is an excellent example of Fair Isle’s philosophy,” said Andrew Pogue, owner of Fair Isle Brewing. “We strive to utilize the most out of every ingredient, seek to partner with like-minded businesses, and love to support local farms and farmers.” 

Denise is a harmonious blend of gin and fruit. Exhibiting big floral aromas of gin, the beer presents notes of grains of paradise, mint, fresh strawberries, Meyer lemon, cherries and plums. 

The name Denise stems from a beautiful story of community. In 2022, the plum harvest was low and Copperworks extended a call to the community for plums in exchange for a donation to their local food bank.?Denise?was the first resident to do so, and graciously gave the Copperworks team plums from her beloved tree at her home. Unfortunately, she was never able to taste that year’s Plum Gin for herself as she passed away from cancer before it was released. In honor of her gracious gift, Fair Isle named this beer after her.  

Fair Isle Brewing is dedicated to utilizing Pacific Northwest and sustainable ingredients and brewing with time-honored traditions. Their approach for both saisons and lagers is around depth, nuance, and easy drinking.?? 

Denise will be available on tap and 750ml bottles at Fair Isle’s taproom starting today. Fair Isle Brewing is located at 936 NW 49th St Seattle, WA 98107 and is open Monday through Friday, 3pm to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday, 12pm to 10pm.  

About Fair Isle

Fair Isle Brewing is a Seattle brewery specializing in exceptional lagers and saison beers, using 99% locally sourced ingredients and traditional fermentation techniques. Their thoughtful approach to crafting award-winning beers is a balance of time, technique, and carefully selected ingredients.?One of only a handful of breweries in the country to use wild, mixed-culture yeast, Fair Isle brews with a distinctive yeast that has been nurtured for over a decade.?The result is light, balanced beers with the flavor and personality to stand alone and enhance any meal.?Embracing the variables of each season and inspired by the richness of the Pacific Northwest ecosystem, Fair Isle crafts beers that foster a deeper connection to local farms and the people who steward them.?